Mangus on road checking out quarterback targets

USC quarterbacks coach GA Mangus will travel to the Northeast this week to visit with QB target Kevin Olsen of Wayne, NJ. Olsen was named the top prospect last weekend at the Elite 11 regional competition in New York. Mangus will watch Olsen throw and then visit with him and his father. Olsen is down to USC, Miami, Wisconsin and Auburn. Miami was in last week and Auburn will be in next week. Miami appears to be the team to beat with Olsen at this point. One of his brothers played for the Hurricanes. While in the Northeast, Mangus may try to see Boeing Brown of Brookfield, CT. Mangus has not offered Brown but has been evaluating him. Brown attended a junior day and the spring game at USC. Brown also has recently visited Central Florida and Florida and plans to visit Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Indiana and Purdue. Connor Mitch of Raleigh does have a Mangus offer and has USC in his top four along with LSU, North Carolina and Alabama. Mitch also attended a USC junior day and the spring game. But North Carolina is making a strong push for Mitch. One of his teammates has already committed to the Tar Heels, and his girlfriend will be going to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels appear to making the strongest pressure pitch for Mitch at this point. Mitch also has developed a strong relationship with LSU coach Les Miles and the Tigers quarterbacks coach. And Alabama coach Nick Saban has made a strong move on Mitch after losing quarterback Phillip Sims to a transfer.

DE Devante Covington (6-3 220) of Rockingham, NC became USC’s 8th commitment for the 2013 class Monday night when he made his pledge to recruiter Shawn Elliott. Elliott visited with Covington last week. Covington also visited USC earlier in the spring. He also had offers from Clemson, Tennessee, East Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest. “South Carolina seems on the rise in the SEC and I want to be a part of it,” Covington said. “I want to be a pass rusher and I give a lot of effort just like they do. Everybody on the team has a great attitude. It’s a great place to be around the players. And the facilities are really good.” Last season Covington had 34 tackles and 8 sacks. The Gamecocks are also recruiting his teammate OL Tyrone Crowder and the two have talked about going to the same school. “We are close, and we both want to be close to home, but I don’t know what he wants to do,” Covington said.

DB Kirk Garner (5-11 180) of Olney, MD saw a report on ESPN over the weekend that raised concerns for him with USC. “I don’t really know what happened there but I saw something about them being on probation or something like that through 2016,” Garner said. His offers include USC, Tennessee, Purdue, Penn State, Virginia, Maryland, Florida State, West Virginia, Houston, Colorado, Navy, NC State, Boston College and Nebraska. He recently narrowed his list but is not ready to reveal it. “South Carolina was on it but I don’t know now,” he said. “I want to know more about what happened before I consider them.” Garner has not omitted the Gamecocks from consideration and did acknowledge his unfamiliarity with the violations committed by USC. “I want to know what’s going on before I consider them,” he admitted. Virginia and Tennessee visited him Monday at his school and Michigan State and Georgia Tech are expected to be by this week. “A lot more schools are coming but I can’t remember them all,” said Garner. He did not name any favorites.

OL Ander Bodkin of Tallahassee, FL may could be nearing his first offer. Florida International visited him at his school Monday and may be close to offering. “Their coach told me he really liked my film,” Bodkin said. “They told me they were going to call my coach and offer. I don’t want to count it until they make it official.” Bodkin continues to hear from several schools and is expecting many visitors when his spring practice begins Tuesday. “I know FSU is coming by tomorrow,” he said. USC, Alabama, Florida and Georgia are also expected to attend practices over the next couple of weeks. USC was by to see him last week. “Coach (Kirk) Botkin came by the school last week and talked to me,” said Bodkin. “He told me he was going to talk to coach (Shawn) Elliott and that he wasn’t sure what they were doing. He did tell me that I’ve lost I lot of weight and to keep up the good work.” His favorites are USC, Florida State, Alabama and Georgia.

Basketball News:

It will be May 3rd for a decision by 6-6 Sheldon Jeter of Beaver Falls, PA his father said Monday night. Carliss Jeter said over the weekend a decision could come early in the week, but now his son plans to stick with his original plan of a May 3rd announcement. That will take place at his school, his father said, at a time to be determined. Sheldon Jeter was on the phone with coaches from his four finalists Monday. He’s still considering USC, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and Penn State.